School of Mass Communication alumna wins Peabody Award

Loyola University New OrleansSchool of Mass Communication alumna and CNN associate producer Jessica Dunne ’08, was recently awarded a prestigious Peabody Award for her part in the CNN news coverage of the Arab Spring demonstrations, which began in December 2010 and have since spread across the Middle East. The Peabody Award is one of broadcasting’s premier honors, recognizing excellence, distinguished achievement and meritorious public service in the field of journalism.

CNN spent hundreds of hours reporting on the civil uprisings, which have occurred in more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries over the last 18 months and forced rulers from power in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen. The Peabody Board commended CNN’s worldwide coverage of the Arab Spring, saying, “With seasoned correspondents already stationed throughout the Middle East, CNN was prepared when revolution began to leap like wildfire across the region.”

According to Dunne, being a part of an organization that was responsible for reporting history in the making was special enough, but winning a Peabody Award was both a humbling and gratifying experience.

“I feel privileged to be part of such a talented team of journalists,” Dunne said. “We worked hard to be the worldwide leader in coverage of the Arab Spring, and I am honored to be a part of this tremendous award win."

For more information, contact Matt Lambert in Loyola’s Office of Public Affairs at 504-861-5448 or mlambert@loyno.edu.

LoyNews is an e-newswire produced by the Loyola University New Orleans Office of Public Affairs. LoyNews is distributed weekly to local, regional and national news media outlets, communicating the latest news and accomplishments of the university and its community.